To be eligible for 30 hours free childcare, you (or your partner if you have one) must have a National Insurance number and at least one of the following:
- British or Irish citizenship
- settled or pre-settled status, or been living in the UK before 1 January 2021 with the right to reside
- permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this
You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £139 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).
If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you're unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.
You can't get 30 hours free childcare if either you, or your partner, each individually expect to earn £100,000 or more.